Blooming Moors, Harry Potter and Heartbeat country
6 people attending
19 places left
Join Steven and the OutdoorLads for a longer walk around the North York Moors visiting waterfalls, railway heritage sites, TV show locations and a couple of stops for tea, cake or a pint of the local brew.
The route climbs from the start point in the Esk Valley to head south through thick deciduous woodland above the River Murk Esk and keeping the popular tourist attraction of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway close by.
After visiting the pretty waterfall of Mallyan Spout a climb up steps will reward the group with a bar and coffee shop for some food (including a good selection of cakes) and liquid refreshment before ascending onto the moors south of Goathland.
A gradual ascent passing a pond will give fine views for miles across moorland and back along the valley of the Murk Esk, the path then levels out with a rocky slope to the east before falling to a stream for another brief stop before walking up to the highest point of the walk.
The same ground is reached again as the route heads north and this time the whole village of Goathland will be visited and time will be given to explore the gift shops, tearooms, and the hotel bar made famous as a set regularly featured in the long running TV drama Heartbeat.
The railway station was a Harry Potter filming location and the gift shop reflects this with a lot of the merchandise to the popular fantasy.
There are two more climbs left in the walk and plenty of fine views for photographs before the last part where the original railway route is joined in the valley bottom.
This route undulates and there are a fair few ascents so it is not easy, a little more challenging. Good walking boots are recommended as there are some smaller narrow paths on uneven ground and a few boulders to be climbed over near the waterfall. The majority of the route is on clearly defined paths with steeper steps in a couple of sections.
If you want to enjoy a good leg stretch this bank holiday weekend in fine surroundings sign up for a great day out.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring at least 2 litres of water or fruit squash, a packed lunch and plenty of snacks. There will be two stops long enough to have food in a tea shop or public house.